@silvergreen I'm so sorry your pup and family is going through that. It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch an animal suffer through things like that. I hope the medicine continues to improve things or that they can find a cocktail that eliminates them.
Like @doxiemoxie212 I too, like dogs and all animals, more than people. I can't watch the ASPCA commercials. Or hear them. I yell from across the house, "change the channel, change the channel, mute it, mute it!" If I can't, I sit with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears.
Funny story: once I was on my way home from work, it was about 11pm. I was in our neighborhood and it was snowing pretty good. I saw a dog wandering and walking so I was following it bc duh, it needed to go home. If i could see if it was friendly, had a tag, could get it home, or call community service to help me, it needed to go home! I was driving slow, following it, with my window down making stupid noises for it to come. About 20 yards from it, I park to get out and I realize it's a coyote, not a domestic dog. Oops. Roll up window, go home, and speak nothing about your attempts to rescue a coyote.
@doxiemoxie212@LaceyBee522 I may be related to your husbands. I hate to call and handle anything over the phone so I usually avoid it. Calling to have someone come out and look at this water in my basement from one of 2 things that are both under warranty--took me 2 months to decide on that phone call. Also guilty on not returning anything, even by mail. It's too much hassle and I'm lazy. Unless maaaaybe it was something really expensive, but I haven't been in that situation yet.
@amys614 I mean, I also hate talking on the phone; like, I probably won't make a spa appointment or reservation if I have to call to make it. But to save literally a thousand dollars on wine (that is how much we were spending quarterly on wine from wine clubs, no joke, because DH is insane)? Worth a phone call if that's what it takes.
I'm great about returning things, though. I hate shopping in person, so I am a champ returner.
@silvergreen - oh I'm so sorry you have to watch your pup go through that and then on top of that do it while preg/worrying about managing your furbaby and human baby in the near future. No advice for how to make it easier other than offer support. It is so difficult to watch animals suffer- you just want them to be able to talk to you. So sorry.
LaceyBee522 - my dh refuses to return things as well...it is absurd. We had to return some stuff this weekend and he made me do it. He said returning something is like admitting defeat...uhhh, huh??
Thanks for the support, everyone. It really is tough. He had a cluster seizure (three in a row) just before Christmas that cost us $1200 at the vet hospital. I've been so worried that we just financially can't keep up, but thankfully he hasn't had a cluster since (knock on wood). His meds have been upped a lot since then.
@krashke I'm sorry about your cat. I had suggested something like diabetes to the vet, but they think it's idiopathic epilepsy. Just dropped another $130 on Monday to get him tested for portosystemic shunts, but results were negative. And regarding the cleaning: I feel like such an a-hole to complain about it when he's obviously dealing with something so horrible. But I just find myself panicking and struggling to help clean him up, just making everything that much worse for both of us. My sense of smell is just way too strong to allow me to be efficient or useful in that situation. I kept running to the bathroom in case I really did vomit. I finally managed to sort his crate out after a good douse of Nature's Miracle.
I'm so stingy with money, I return everything as soon as I know it's wrong/won't be used. I actually packed a shirt in our suitcase over the holidays because I knew our hotel was near a target. DH rolled his eyes but that was $15 for a shirt he decided he didn't want.
@silvergreen I'm so sorry to hear about your poor pup! I worked for a vet 7 years while in college and post college and saw so much oh this! Idiopathic is so hard as its literally, "sorry, we don't know what's causing it". Just throwing this out there, I'm sure your vet checked but is your dog by chance taking heartworm medication? Collies in particular are highly sensitive to ivermectin& other common anti parasitics found in a lot of heartworm meds, and classic symptoms include seizures. Just thought it was worth a mention in the event it hadn't been thought of! Best of luck, hang in there!
@silvergreen My heart hurts for you and your pupper. I'm sorry. I rememeber a friend diapering her pup and carting her around for "wagon walks" when she became incontinent and lost the ability to walk. I hope the treatment helps.
Awwww, @silvergreen, I'm so sorry about your pupper. I have no good advice, I just feel for you. My brother's dog has mild seizures that are mostly controlled with medicine, but it's still scary to see. Hugs to you both!
Me: 34 Husband: 35 Married: June 2007
Son Max born 1/10/17 BFP #2: 10/5/17; EDD: 6/11/18
@silvergreen So sorry to hear about your doggo! I hope he keeps improving on his meds!
So sad to hear about everyone's pet experiences. I don't have one (sooo wish I did), but maybe we should do a fur baby Friday, so we can meet everyone's pets? Thoughts??
@stephcat421 His mom tested positive for the gene that is sensitive to ivermectin so he's never been on that type of heartworm medication. We actually took him off everything for the past couple of months just to make sure it wasn't an adverse reaction to something he was taking.
I did a ton of research before committing to a puppy, and finding a reputable breeder was the most important to me. His breeder is pretty devastated as he has never had a puppy in 30 years with issues. He did a lot of calling around to other breeders he works with but none seemed to have any problems like this (or so they say). He offered to refund us and/or take him back, but we refused, of course. That will really be a last resort if the clusters continue as we really can't afford to keep hospitalizing him.
@silvergreen I completely understand! I researched breeders for our golden for months heavily! I wanted to avoid health issues as much as possible especially given over breeding these days. I wouldn't be able to just take a refund either. Prayers someone comes up with a solution that works! I'm glad you took him off any heartworm meds because it's not just ivermectin that causes this problem. Good luck and let us know how he's doing in the coming weeks!
@silvergreen I am so sorry about your pup! I am also very much an animal person over a people person and I can't imagine having to deal with that with my own dog. I have had a few zoo animals who struggled with seizures and that was hard enough. As for the smell, I don't know if this will work for you, but when I first started working with animals and again during the first trimester, a lot of the gross stuff (diarrhea explosions, vomit, blood, etc) really turned my stomach. I was able to ease some of the gag reflex through mouth breathing, but it also helps me to not look directly at it and to think about something completely different. I swear when I had super bad morning sickness and had to skin/ butcher prey animals (sorry not sorry, carnivores gotta eat too) I would play a movie I knew really well in my head and it helped a ton with the smell.
AFM I hung out with one of my pretty good friends today. She has a 10 month old and I had asked her to look over my registry just to make sure I'm not missing anything super obvious. She decided that meant I wanted two pages of notes on why I picked everything wrong because it's not what she picked. I wanted to be like, okay I love you but we are super different people who will have very different parenting styles and just because something worked well for E doesn't mean it will work for me. I just wanted to make sure it was a complete registry. *sigh* I do find myself being a little overly sensitive to advice sometimes, but I feel like I've done a lot of research, I get advice from this board, and I don't necessarily want/need tons of advice from everyone I know with a kid.
Me 30 Him 30 Married August 2015 DS born 5/23/2018 TTC #2 July 2020
I’m so sorry @silvergreen. Animals really do become part of the family and it is so hard to watch them struggle and not be able to explain what is going on.
@Amphibious22 oh man I would not have been able to handle that. I’m sure she meant well but it doesn’t seem like she understands that what works for one kid or mom will not work for the next.
*TW LC*
Me & MH: 32 DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU) TTC #2: 12/2019 Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@Amphibious22 Boo you just wanted to make sure you hadn’t forgotten some things, yes? Fwiw I’d be willing to look over a registry. My son’s just 14 mos so I’m pretty fresh. I promise not to judge choices and just mention stuff you can add.
@krashke exactly! It was definitely hard for me to sit there and not give any sass. She did mean well, we're just very different people.
@Austenista thank you for offering! I think I feel pretty okay with it. And luckily I'm having two showers spaced like a month or more apart, so if after my first shower I feel like I'm missing something, I can add it before my second. Perks of having one East coast family and one West coast family.
Me 30 Him 30 Married August 2015 DS born 5/23/2018 TTC #2 July 2020
@amys614 lol! I’m a sucker for picking up lost dogs but so far haven’t found any coyotes!
@silvergreen sorry about your pup I hope he gets better.
@Amphibious22 that’s annoying but I’m sure she meant well and you kept your cool I’ve started to experience similar things and not sure how much longer I can hold my tongue.
Yes to a fur baby post! Here’s my little fuzz butt doin a snooze.
Is this the rant thread? Why can't I remember what I just clicked!? I swear pregnancy brain has ramped up lately.
I am awake less than 2 hours before my alarm with a horrendous headache. Yay... of course this happened on the only night I was getting semi decent sleep in like a week.
@amys614 We get a lot of coyotes by us and the only way I can tell the difference is because my dog only barks at coyotes outside! They're so well-fed they look like dogs to me!! Scary thing is they do attack small dogs people leave out. So sad.
Aaaannnnd the cat was an asshole again last night. He is getting on my last nerve. I don't know what else to do. We play with him immensely before bed to tire him out, we got an automatic cat feeder that feeds him at 12 am, 3 am and 6 am in an effort to keep him fed and happy all night long and we have cleared almost everything off of our dresser and bathroom counter.
*TW LC*
Me & MH: 32 DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU) TTC #2: 12/2019 Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
My cat's also being a little shit lately. My husband and I have been trying to put him more in the middle of the bed, because he currently often sleeps as little spoon with me. Fine for now, but if I'm breastfeeding the baby needs to be able to get there and when I'm bigger he's just gonna be pissed off. So we're trying to show him he has more spots to sleep. Other night, he moves the cat and cat decides "Nope, I'm sleeping with mum!" and proceeds to try to climb on my stomach. He's not a small cat lmao Husband proceeds to stop him, and gets snarky look from the cat. *sigh*
He's also getting very needy. We pay lots of attention to him, but it's just getting bad lately and idk what other options we have to show he's still important. {legit, we'll cuddle him, give him and our other cat treats for no reason} Could it be he's realizing that things are changing? I'm not getting rid of the cat - obv - but I'm running out of ideas!
Did any STMs have this issue with the first baby and pets?
@krashke Ahhh!! We didn't experience that with our cats, but I remember my mum mentioning about the cat I grew up with being like that. They used a blanket to cover their dresser and removed everything from any other counters the cat would get at {bedroom was the worst for them}
@MissKittyDanger - Upon having kids our pets became... pets. We didn't get rid of them, but we ended up keeping the cats (all three of them) in the basement at night because I couldn't handle them on the bed with me and crawling all over me and baby. That was 5 years ago and they still sleep in the basement.
And yes, our cats and dog became needy and aware that change was coming.
First Son - born 2013
Second Son - born 2014 - Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV). First open heart surgery at 5 days old. He's had 3 open heart surgeries and several other procedures and is currently doing amazing. Third Son - due June 9, 2018
@mytinc Our basement isn't finished, so that's not entirely an option for us. Plus the cat we're having issues with hates doors closed, for some reason it causes anxiety for him. He doesn't entirely like change, so I'm debating on bringing him to my mum's place for a week or so after baby's born - so he doesn't flip out nor feels left out. That's probably my biggest concern after she's born is the cat feeling ignored
@MissKittyDanger - our basement is unfinished as well. We made a couple catbeds and put some cat toys down there. If we tried only shutting the bedroom door they would have banged on it all night not allowing anyone to sleep. But as I said - our opinions of pets changed after we had kids, even though we always said it never would.
First Son - born 2013
Second Son - born 2014 - Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV). First open heart surgery at 5 days old. He's had 3 open heart surgeries and several other procedures and is currently doing amazing. Third Son - due June 9, 2018
With you on the pets...I went from training with my dogs in formal settings every week and going to competitions with them on a regular basis to them being regular house dogs...they're fine, still happy...but I know they would LOVE to be doing it again and to be social. I love them dearly but they definitely push my patience more than they ever did before (because things bother me that would have never been an issue pre-baby). I can't deal with dog hair while (with reason) didn't bother me before...I was that person who said my relationship with my dogs wouldn't change...and yet it did
@mytinc It's possible that it will for us. Typical saying in our house is "the cats are not to be trusted" lol Angel is 12, Penny is 6. You'd think Penny was a kitten still with the stuff she gets into. I don't think the basement will work for us sadly - she eats wires often .... I don't understand her lmao - but I may pretest out the closing of the bedroom door a bit ....
Re: The Rant Thread • w/o 1/29
Like @doxiemoxie212 I too, like dogs and all animals, more than people. I can't watch the ASPCA commercials. Or hear them. I yell from across the house, "change the channel, change the channel, mute it, mute it!" If I can't, I sit with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears.
Funny story: once I was on my way home from work, it was about 11pm. I was in our neighborhood and it was snowing pretty good. I saw a dog wandering and walking so I was following it bc duh, it needed to go home. If i could see if it was friendly, had a tag, could get it home, or call community service to help me, it needed to go home! I was driving slow, following it, with my window down making stupid noises for it to come. About 20 yards from it, I park to get out and I realize it's a coyote, not a domestic dog. Oops. Roll up window, go home, and speak nothing about your attempts to rescue a coyote.
@doxiemoxie212 @LaceyBee522 I may be related to your husbands. I hate to call and handle anything over the phone so I usually avoid it. Calling to have someone come out and look at this water in my basement from one of 2 things that are both under warranty--took me 2 months to decide on that phone call. Also guilty on not returning anything, even by mail. It's too much hassle and I'm lazy. Unless maaaaybe it was something really expensive, but I haven't been in that situation yet.
I'm great about returning things, though. I hate shopping in person, so I am a champ returner.
@silvergreen - oh I'm so sorry you have to watch your pup go through that and then on top of that do it while preg/worrying about managing your furbaby and human baby in the near future. No advice for how to make it easier other than offer support. It is so difficult to watch animals suffer- you just want them to be able to talk to you. So sorry.
LaceyBee522 - my dh refuses to return things as well...it is absurd. We had to return some stuff this weekend and he made me do it. He said returning something is like admitting defeat...uhhh, huh??
@krashke I'm sorry about your cat.
AFM, DS woke up with pink eye. FX he doesn’t spread it to the rest of us and friends we had a play date with yesterday.
Married March 2016
DD: born 7.22.16
DS EDD: 6.23.18
Husband: 35
Married: June 2007
Son Max born 1/10/17
BFP #2: 10/5/17; EDD: 6/11/18
So sad to hear about everyone's pet experiences. I don't have one (sooo wish I did), but maybe we should do a fur baby Friday, so we can meet everyone's pets? Thoughts??
@stephcat421 His mom tested positive for the gene that is sensitive to ivermectin so he's never been on that type of heartworm medication. We actually took him off everything for the past couple of months just to make sure it wasn't an adverse reaction to something he was taking.
I did a ton of research before committing to a puppy, and finding a reputable breeder was the most important to me. His breeder is pretty devastated as he has never had a puppy in 30 years with issues. He did a lot of calling around to other breeders he works with but none seemed to have any problems like this (or so they say). He offered to refund us and/or take him back, but we refused, of course. That will really be a last resort if the clusters continue as we really can't afford to keep hospitalizing him.
AFM I hung out with one of my pretty good friends today. She has a 10 month old and I had asked her to look over my registry just to make sure I'm not missing anything super obvious. She decided that meant I wanted two pages of notes on why I picked everything wrong because it's not what she picked. I wanted to be like, okay I love you but we are super different people who will have very different parenting styles and just because something worked well for E doesn't mean it will work for me. I just wanted to make sure it was a complete registry. *sigh* I do find myself being a little overly sensitive to advice sometimes, but I feel like I've done a lot of research, I get advice from this board, and I don't necessarily want/need tons of advice from everyone I know with a kid.
Married August 2015
DS born 5/23/2018
TTC #2 July 2020
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
@Austenista thank you for offering! I think I feel pretty okay with it. And luckily I'm having two showers spaced like a month or more apart, so if after my first shower I feel like I'm missing something, I can add it before my second. Perks of having one East coast family and one West coast family.
Married August 2015
DS born 5/23/2018
TTC #2 July 2020
@silvergreen sorry about your pup
@Amphibious22 that’s annoying but I’m sure she meant well and you kept your cool
Yes to a fur baby post! Here’s my little fuzz butt doin a snooze.
I am awake less than 2 hours before my alarm with a horrendous headache. Yay... of course this happened on the only night I was getting semi decent sleep in like a week.
@amys614 your coyote story cracked me up!
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18
My husband and I have been trying to put him more in the middle of the bed, because he currently often sleeps as little spoon with me. Fine for now, but if I'm breastfeeding the baby needs to be able to get there and when I'm bigger he's just gonna be pissed off. So we're trying to show him he has more spots to sleep.
Other night, he moves the cat and cat decides "Nope, I'm sleeping with mum!" and proceeds to try to climb on my stomach.
He's not a small cat lmao Husband proceeds to stop him, and gets snarky look from the cat. *sigh*
He's also getting very needy. We pay lots of attention to him, but it's just getting bad lately and idk what other options we have to show he's still important. {legit, we'll cuddle him, give him and our other cat treats for no reason}
Could it be he's realizing that things are changing? I'm not getting rid of the cat - obv - but I'm running out of ideas!
Did any STMs have this issue with the first baby and pets?
They used a blanket to cover their dresser and removed everything from any other counters the cat would get at {bedroom was the worst for them}
And yes, our cats and dog became needy and aware that change was coming.
First Son - born 2013
Third Son - due June 9, 2018
I kinda wanna be like
He doesn't entirely like change, so I'm debating on bringing him to my mum's place for a week or so after baby's born - so he doesn't flip out nor feels left out. That's probably my biggest concern after she's born is the cat feeling ignored
First Son - born 2013
Third Son - due June 9, 2018
Angel is 12, Penny is 6. You'd think Penny was a kitten still with the stuff she gets into. I don't think the basement will work for us sadly - she eats wires often .... I don't understand her lmao - but I may pretest out the closing of the bedroom door a bit ....
Married August 2015
DS born 5/23/2018
TTC #2 July 2020
ETA:
DS: 6/1/18 (Pre-E; IUGR; seizures; NICU)
TTC #2: 12/2019
Sept 2020: HSG possible blocked right tube
Nov 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFN
Dec 2020: Letrozole + TI - BFP!!! EDD 9/18